


I've forgotten about the scars

by nivce



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, idk maybe cinder just needs a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:55:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27719861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nivce/pseuds/nivce
Summary: Neo let go, looking at the woman with a lump in her throat. She couldn’t bring herself to hate Cinder, not right now.
Relationships: Cinder Fall/Neopolitan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 58





	I've forgotten about the scars

Neo wrinkled her nose.

A pungent odor had suddenly infiltrated the small surrounding space. It was chemical-like and… strangely familiar? Though she couldn’t quite place the smell. She lazily twisted her torso to look behind her seat, hoping to locate the origin. Behind her, tucked near the back of the airship, sat Cinder. She clutched a small brush between the talons of her left hand, appearing to be concentrating immensely on her actions. Neo spotted a few bottles atop the table adjacent to Cinder and immediately understood why the smell was so familiar. She was painting her nails. 

_Of course, typical._

Neo was never one to paint her nails, too much time and effort for something that could get ruined so easily. Besides, she almost always wore gloves anyways. Not like anyone would notice if she did. The smell of nail polish was always very recognizable.

Neo rolled her eyes as she turned back to stare out of the windshield of the ship. It was a bit annoying that Cinder chose to do that now instead of _literally_ any other time. The pair had only just begun their flight across Anima a few hours prior. There was still several days of travel left before they would reach Atlas. The airship Neo stole was, unfortunately, not built for long-distance travel.

With a huff, Neo fiddled with the ship’s air conditioner settings, hoping to vent out some of the smell.

During that week spent in the lower levels of Mistral, Cinder had grown restless waiting. She generally considered herself a patient person, though she usually had something else to occupy her time. Eventually, she found herself wandering the city aimlessly. During one of these ventures, she ended up in a store selling a variety of products. Cinder was already a wanted criminal, so she didn’t think twice about swiping up whatever she felt like she needed. Among the stolen items was a bottle of gold nail polish as well as everything else she felt necessary to adequately paint her nails. Cinder was always one to maintain her appearance, and she found painting her nails to be rewarding. It had also been so long since she last did it, so… why not?

She was now starting to regret it.

She gripped the small brush firmly between the long fingers of the Grimm hand. The woman had spent the past few moments uncertain as to where to start, not really wanting to make the first mark. Finally, she moved the arm, hoping to neatly apply a layer of gold. But the movement was uncoordinated and jerky and she ended up getting polish everywhere _but_ her nail.

Frustrated, Cinder’s mouth formed a scowl. She pulled her left arm away and momentarily stared at her mistake. It was already difficult enough having to do this with her non-dominant hand, but this arm-- _her_ arm was simply not capable of the kinds of motions she was used to. She tried, she really did, but even after all of her training with Salem, Cinder still didn’t feel like the arm was like her own. Fighting was easy and came naturally with it. The same couldn’t be said for things requiring more concentration and coordination.

Cinder attempted to dip the brush back into the bottle, missing the narrow hole two or three times. She let out a low noise of frustration as she pulled the brush back out. One of her long claws tapped against the bottle and almost threatened to knock it over. Her arm twitched slightly. The brush once again hovered above Cinder’s opposite hand. She sighed as she attempted to paint it again.

_Several_ minutes had passed, and Neo was starting to get a little more than annoyed. The smell had not lessened, and honestly it was getting to be overwhelming. When you’re on a small airship, it becomes hard to ignore.

_How long did it take to paint five fingers?_ She irritably thought to herself.

Cinder was thinking something similar if her growls of exasperation did not make it apparent. She got more audible as time passed, and it was beginning to grate on Neo’s nerves.

_Seriously._

Neo quickly checked the course of the ship and set it to autopilot. She rose from her seat slowly, her legs slightly wobbly due to the long span of nonuse. The girl stretched her limbs for a few moments before turning towards Cinder. She appeared to be struggling, which a cruel part of Neo found amusing. Generally though, it was just pitiful to watch. Neo shook her head and folded her arms as she crossed the room to the woman.

Cinder was too concentrated on her own actions to notice the girl approaching. Only when she sat down next to her did she realize. She straightened her back and furrowed her brow, turning slightly to glare at Neo.

“ _What_ do you _want?_ ”

Neo sat with her side resting on the seat, facing the woman. One arm was cushioned near the headrest while the other lay draped over her hip. She stared at Cinder, eyebrows raised with a vexed expression. Neo’s gaze traveled to the woman’s sloppily painted hand. She pursed her lips, and looked back into Cinder’s eye with an eyebrow cocked.

“I- Don’t look at me like that!” Cinder snapped. “I’m _perfectly_ capable of doing this myself.”

Neo was unconvinced. Rolling her eyes, she gestured towards Cinder’s hand.

_She hadn’t even painted all of them yet!_

The woman gave Neo a death stare. “I don’t want your pity,” she growled out. “And I _certainly_ don’t need your help.”

If this was meant to intimidate, Neo was unimpressed. The thief didn’t back down easily, especially to someone with nail polish covering their fingers. She pulled her other arm down from the headrest and moved to take off her gloves. Couldn’t risk getting them dirty, after all.

Cinder watched her, an angry glower still present on her face.

Neo stared back with no intention of budging. She exhaled through her nose and extended her hand.

“I _do not_ need your help,” Cinder repeated, an edge present in her voice.

The girl narrowed her eyes and flew into a flurry of hand motions. _“Ok then, just continue to make a fool out of yourself. Trying to do something you can’t. Go ahead, keep going.”_ Her signs were fluid and precise, displaying annoyance with Cinder’s stubbornness.

_Why does she have to be so stubborn about everything?_

Of course, the woman stared blankly. “How many times do I have to tell you, I have no idea what you’re trying to say,” she muttered.

Neo didn’t really expect her to understand. She waved her hand in Cinder’s direction, then folded her arms with a huff. Still, she didn’t move, eyes remaining fixed on the taller woman.

Cinder broke the stare and once again continued gazing at her right hand. Positioning the nail brush above its mark, she sat still for a few moments. Feeling Neo’s mismatched eyes on her, she suddenly grew a bit sheepish. Her posture broke as she slumped over slightly, letting out an exacerbated sigh while doing so.

“Fine,” she ground out.

Precariously, she passed the brush to her right hand, presenting it to Neo without looking. A soft smile now adorned the girl’s features, pleased that Cinder had given up on this fruitless endeavor. The woman had always been a bit difficult, even back at Beacon. She shifted herself, now sitting on her knees facing the maiden. Returning the brush back to its home, Neo took the larger adjacent bottle of nail polish remover.

There was a pause before she took Cinder’s hand. The maiden flinched slightly, not used to soft physical contact. If Neo wasn’t as attentive as she was, she probably wouldn’t have noticed. Still, Cinder stared forward, not looking at the girl. Cinder’s hand was warm. It had been quite a while since Neo had really touched someone directly. Especially in such a… personal way. She decided it wasn’t _that_ bad. Her touch lingered for a bit too long before she proceeded to remove the nail polish. If Cinder was bothered by that, she didn’t show it.

_Maybe I’m a bit touch starved,_ Neo reasoned.

Once the old polish had been removed, Neo began applying it in slow, even strokes.

_Gold was a good color for her_ , the girl decided. _Matches her eye._

After painting her pinkie and ring finger, Neo looked up slightly and caught Cinder watching her. At some point she had lost the scowl, though now wore another blank expression. A smile returned to Neo’s face. Knowing that she had been caught, and perhaps after seeing Neo’s smile, Cinder furrowed her brow. 

“It’s a bit uneven,” she commented.

Neo pressed her lips together and leaned away from the woman. She dipped the brush back into the bottle and feigned closing it, giving Cinder a sharp look. 

A sigh escaped the woman’s lips. “Ugh. _Fine_ , it doesn’t matter. Keep going,” she commanded. As much as Cinder hated giving in, she admittedly wanted Neo to finish. A small part of her found some comfort in this simple action, though she would never outwardly admit it. Plus she would just look foolish with only two painted nails.

Neo put her hand on her chin and looked upwards, as if contemplating whether or not she should continue. Of course she intended to, but found Cinder’s response to this sort of teasing amusing.

As expected, she let out a low groan. “Oh _seriously_. Get on with it,” she huffed.

Neo covered her mouth, shaking slightly with silent laughter. She pulled the nail brush out of the bottle, now freshly coated with the gold polish. The girl continued her work. Cinder said nothing, but occasionally Neo would look up and catch her eye. The silence was surprisingly comfortable.

She was… still not sure how she felt about Cinder, but at this moment the company was nice. It had been so long since she was able to have a quiet moment like this. Even if it did involve Cinder.

Painting one hand took next to no time. Neo leaned back to assess her work, generally pleased with it. Cinder also looked.

“You need to do the top coat as well.”

_Always such a perfectionist._

Though… maybe she didn’t mind. After all, what else was she going to do? Stare out of the window again?

She readjusted her position, moving off of her knees and sitting more on her side again. Her hand lingered around Cinder’s. She kind of wanted to hold it again, though not really sure as to why. The maiden watched Neo for a moment, then looked to her hand, then off to the side. Cinder’s eye traced a detail of the ship’s interior. She didn’t say anything.

A few moments passed in silence, the only sounds being the gentle hum of the ship. Feeling positive that the base coat had dried, Neo tentatively took hold of Cinder’s hand again. The clear layer was applied quicker than the base and really brought everything together. She pulled her hand a bit higher to admire her work. The woman’s nails shimmered wonderfully in the light. The girl looked up at Cinder, still softly grasping the woman’s hand.

_It really did match her eyes._ _They held the same glimmer._

_...Why am I thinking this?_ She cursed herself for these thoughts.

Cinder appeared to be conflicted. She looked at Neo, then back to her nails. There was a pause before she spoke again.

“...Thank you,” she murmured.

Even if the girl’s motivations were self-serving, something about this… felt different to Cinder. It had been a long time since someone had gone out of their way to do something for her. Especially something as unimportant as this. Emerald… didn’t really count, she would sacrifice herself if it’s what Cinder wanted.

Neo’s brows shot up. She didn’t expect that! It was very rare for Cinder to ever thank anyone for anything, especially as direct as this. Cocking an eyebrow, she looked at the woman incredulously. 

_Was this some kind of joke?_

Cinder frowned. “I’m serious.” She slowly pulled her hand away, much to Neo’s disappointment.

_Yeah, I must be incredibly touch starved._

Cinder sat motionlessly with her right hand resting in her lap. She looked out ahead, staring out of the windshield across the room. Her body still remained slightly turned towards Neo.

The thief remembered the woman struggling with her left and grew a bit concerned. Neo knew of Cinder’s… situation, but didn’t have the chance to really look at it in detail. Feeling a bit daring due to a growing curiosity, Neo slid a bit closer to the woman. She looked to Cinder, then to her left arm, which she appeared to be leaning on. That, or she was trying to tuck it away from view. Looking back at Cinder again, she considered her next action. After essentially holding the woman’s hand for a period of time, she came to the conclusion that there was a possibility that she _wouldn’t_ get burnt for this. She reached forward and gently took hold of Cinder’s Grimm arm.

Cinder did not seem to appreciate the action, visibly recoiling from the touch. “What are you doing!?” she exclaimed. The maiden felt the claws twitch and her shoulder prickle.

Still, Neo did not let go. Instead, she peered at Cinder with her brows knit together with worry. The maiden met her with a more alarmed look, her body obviously tense. Her hold was loose, she could have easily been shaken off if Cinder truly wanted the girl away from her. Nothing happened for a short time, with neither of them wanting to break eye contact. Neo moved her hands further down the arm and gently pulled it away from Cinder’s side towards herself. The arm was still gloved, and Neo made a move to slide the encompassing fabric off before Cinder grabbed her wrist.

“I--,” Neo sharply turned towards Cinder, cutting her off. The thief’s worried expression had deepened. The maiden’s next words died in her throat and her grasp on Neo’s wrist slackened until faltering completely. The girl continued to peel away the glove. Cinder felt… _exposed_ . _Horribly exposed._

Normally she would be angry, _furious,_ that someone had touched her there. For making her feel panicked and vulnerable. But for some reason, she just… couldn’t will these feelings into existence. For once, Cinder was tired of being angry.

She ran her good hand through her ashen hair and let out a weary sigh.

Neo’s fingers trailed lightly over the arm, finding purchase around the wrist. The skin-- _could it be called that?_ It was a bit cold and had a strange, almost striated texture to it. The thing seemed to suck away the warmth from the girl's fingertips. The hand was especially gnarled, with bony knuckles and long, wiry fingers. The claws protruding from the tips were pearly white yet had a deadly gleam to them. Her mismatched eyes trailed up the woman’s arm, where it disappeared underneath the sleeve of her outfit. Hesitantly, she reached to roll the fabric up. Cinder didn’t resist. It did not stop until her shoulder, and even then, a thin, black webbing of Grimm extended further towards her center. The flesh underneath was red and inflamed, with some areas appearing raw. Neo’s fingers ghosted over her shoulder and she softly touched the uncovered skin. It was warm, though not warm like the woman’s hand. This warmth was not comforting.

The sight shot a pang of alarm through Neo’s body, collecting in the pit of her stomach.

_What did you do to yourself?_

The thief’s face was contorted to one of dread as she moved her focus to Cinder. The woman’s eye widened as their gazes met, she then narrowed it and looked away.

“You have no right to judge me,” her voice filled with hostility. The arm twitched again, the prickling sensation worsening.

Neo gave her shoulder a slight shake, and Cinder appeared to wince slightly from the motion. She looked towards the shorter girl, wearing a troubled expression.

_“Does it hurt?”_ Neo shakily signed again, mostly out of instinct.

_It has to hurt._

This time Cinder made no comment about not understanding. She stayed silent.

The shorter woman pointed towards the arm, clutched her own, and feigned a look of pain while silently mouthing “ow” a few times. Cinder picked up on what the mute was trying to communicate.

“No,” a clear lie. “It doesn’t. Besides, that is irrelevant.”

Neo returned her hold on Cinder’s shoulder and pushed a little roughly. There was a slight wince and a sharp inhale. An accusatory glance was shot at the maiden. 

_Liar._

“You don’t--,” she cut herself off. “I had no choice. This… this is necessary to getting stronger. I _need_ it.” Somehow, it sounded like she was also trying to convince herself of this.

Frowning, Neo briskly shook her head. Grabbing both of the maiden’s shoulders, she pulled her down slightly and stared intensely at her. 

_This is not the way to get stronger._

“I don’t care that you disagree with me.” It burned.

Another shake of the head. _Yes you do._

“You will never understand why I do the things I need to do.” Her eye narrowed. The pain was becoming unbearable. 

_Does it matter?!_ Neo grabbed her left shoulder and squeezed again, _hard._ Cinder let out a groan of pain.

“Even if it does… if it does hurt, that is _not_ the point!” Her voice got louder, increasing an octave “I NEED THIS!”

It hurt _so_ much. It felt like it was burning, searing. As if the flesh were being pricked by needles. Cinder clenched her teeth and dug her intact hand into her scalp, attempting to cope with the mounting pain. 

Neo let go, looking at the woman with a lump in her throat. She couldn’t bring herself to hate Cinder, not right now. No longer fearing the woman’s reaction, she scooted closer and leaned in, wrapping her in a soft embrace. Immediately, her body stiffened. There was a sharp inhale. Neo wondered if she had ever been properly hugged before.

Some time had passed and Cinder remained dead still. Neo could hear her heartbeat fluttering frantically.

Finally, she spoke.

“This was supposed to make me stronger, so _why_ does it hurt so badly?” She sounded dejected. “She told me that this was what was best. That this would bring me power.”

Neo trailed a bare hand towards Cinder’s upper back, pulling her deeper into the hug. She tightened her embrace slightly, hoping to indicate to the woman that she was listening. The maiden adjusted herself, leaning further into the embrace. Cinder felt her face getting hot. She stared straight ahead, once again focusing on another arbitrary feature of the ship. This time it was a large gash on the wall. It wasn’t interesting, but she needed to keep herself grounded.

She would _not_ cry. That was a weakness. She was not weak.

Her eyes traced the marred steel. _Up_ and _down_.

She had been weak. _Maybe she still was._

Salem would hug her occasionally. Not very often, but the few times she did were forever etched into Cinder’s memories. At those times, she felt elated, happy that she was able to please her master so adequately. One of those times was just after Beacon, while she lay in the hospital bed. That time, she did not feel triumphant. Her body felt empty, constantly in a state of torture as she was wracked with sharp, agonizing pangs. Mind hazy from trauma, she didn’t think much of anything afterwards. The hug had hurt, Salem didn’t seem to care for her injured state. At the time, it only temporarily quelled her worries. A reward for doing _so_ well (despite the fact she lay broken and lifeless for weeks on end). She was cold to the touch, much like the arm anchored to her body. Looking back on it, the embraces always felt empty. It reminded her of her youth.

It didn’t compare to this. This was different.

She moved her left arm slightly, it was trapped under the smaller girl’s body.

The maiden hesitated before speaking again. For once, she would allow herself to be vulnerable. “Neo, it… it’s been growing up my body. It only used to be halfway down my upper arm,” her voice was quiet. “I don’t know why or what I should do.”

Neo gave her a tight squeeze. This information was alarming to her and she felt herself get slightly clammy. Though she was confused about her feelings towards the woman, she didn’t deserve something like this. _No one did._

Cinder snaked her right arm around Neo’s waist, settling the palm of her hand on the small of her back. The left arm didn’t budge, still trapped between the two. Her head fell forward, resting slightly on the girl’s own. Her throat felt tight and she pinched her eye shut.

_She would not cry._

Cinder was too lost in her thoughts, feeling her breath quickening and her face heating up. At first, she attempted to focus on the small girl. The softness of her hair against her cheek or the rise and fall of her body as she took even breaths. One of Neo’s small hands moved to her head, gently running her fingers through the woman’s ashy locks. A lump formed in Cinder’s throat. 

“Why?” her voice cracked.

A huff was the only response Cinder would get. The girl rubbed an unclear shape into the maiden’s back before returning to caressing her hair. Occasionally, her fingers would ghost over the black straps of her eye patch.

Confused and overwhelmed by this seemingly random act of kindness, Cinder grit her teeth and squeezed her eye as tears threatened to fall. With some hesitance, she wrapped her other arm, her left, around the small girl. The only reaction Neo gave was another tight squeeze.

Failing to bury her emotions, tears finally sprang loose from Cinder’s eye. She felt her heart squeeze in shame. 

She promised herself she would not cry. 

It started slow, with fat tears rolling down Cinder’s cheek and settling in Neo’s hair. Something within her faltered and suddenly she found herself weeping. Her breathing became erratic as her body was wracked by silent sobs, sobs that had been suppressed for years. The collapse of her mental fortitude threatened to bring forth another wave of tears. She had spent years building herself up, only for it to come down so quickly. She didn’t even cry after Beacon, so why now?

It felt strange, not being able to cry from her left eye.

Cinder attempted to keep her breathing under control, not wanting to start hyperventilating. She choked the sobs down, hoping to stay as silent as possible to retain whatever amount of dignity she had left.

Feeling her tremble, Neo began tracing small circles along her back, hoping to soothe the woman in some way

They sat like this for a long while. Slowly but surely, Cinder’s breathing began to even out. A wave of fatigue rolled up her body, settling in her shoulders. There were no more tears left for her to cry. Her eye felt glued shut and raw. Neo’s rhythmic movements unwound the woman, easing her into repose.

_How long had she been bottling this up?_ Neo contemplated. If she asked, Cinder would never answer. Truthfully, the woman wasn’t quite sure.

After Cinder had calmed, she felt comfortable in the smaller woman’s embrace. She… wasn’t sure why.

Neo stirred a bit and pulled back slightly. Straightening her back a bit, Cinder mirrored her actions. Neither moved away completely. Curiously, Neo’s eyes had both shifted to pink, complimenting her flushed cheeks. The girl explored the other’s face. Cinder’s aureate eye sparkled, further accentuated by a slight blush across her sharp features. Her uneven, smokey hair now lay disheveled with many strands protruding randomly. An apprehensive look had made its way to her face.

_She looked pretty._ Neo’s heart fluttered. Were it any other time, she would have smacked herself for that thought.

Feeling a bit entranced and building off of some newfound confidence, Neo slowly lifted her hands up, cupping the woman’s cheeks. She ran a finger over the scar marring her jaw, feeling the rough skin against her own. Cinder didn’t move away, though still had a brow knit in nervousness. Anxiously, the woman’s hands moved from Neo’s back to her waist, as if encouraging her to continue. Not a second was spent thinking of her next actions, instead choosing to act on impulse. Pushing herself up on her knees slightly to gain leverage, Neo leaned into the maiden, closing the distance between the two. Their lips met, and Neo felt a rush of heat cross her cheeks. Though her eyes were closed, she didn’t have to see Cinder to feel the tension radiating off of her. Parting a bit, Neo felt the woman’s fluttering breath against her skin. Cracking her eyes open, she was met with Cinder gawking at her, mouth slightly agape.

“Neo, this… doesn’t mean anything,” she grumbled.

Smiling lightheartedly, this was the response the girl expected. Slightly rolling her eyes, she easily pulled Cinder back into another kiss.

The woman’s lips felt soft against her own. Cinder’s anxiety eventually melted away with each pass of their lips. The girl moved her hands from Cinder’s cheeks down to her collarbones, flattening her lithe fingers across them. Stomach twisting into a knot, Cinder parted her legs slightly and pulled Neo into the newly created space. Their bodies met in an embrace much different from the one before, with the touch of their thighs smoldering. Cinder’s thumb grazed Neo's hipbone, sending a flutter of need through the girl's body. Neo smiled into the kiss, jubilant from Cinder’s reciprocation (and thankful she wasn’t on fire instead).

Retreating to catch her breath, Cinder’s lungs strained. Neo stared at her with half-lidded rosy eyes. Like the maiden, she was breathless, silently panting. She wore a small, pleasant grin which Cinder found to be a bit… _cute_. Unbeknownst to her, she had a similar, matching expression which Neo would come to remember warmly. It was so different from the characteristic smirk frequently adorning Cinder’s face. Eyes crinkling, her smile widened.

“Like I said,” she was now slightly frowning, looking a bit aloof. “This means nothing.” She was still deeply flushed, making it difficult for Neo to take her _too_ seriously.

Her hands were still on Neo’s hips who was _still_ tucked between her thighs. _Did she need to remind Cinder of that?_

She threw a hand up, amused at Cinder’s assertive diffidence. _“Keep telling yourself that,”_ she signed. Though she knew no sign language, due to the girl’s playful smirk, Cinder was able to ascertain what said and scowled lightly. Still, Neo could not take her seriously at this moment. Leaning forward again, she gave Cinder a soft kiss at the corner of her mouth.

“Don’t tell anyone about this,” she jabbed a finger at Neo. _“I’m serious.”_

Neo let out a silent laugh as she wrapped her arms around Cinder’s waist.

Cinder would remove the nail polish a few hours later.

**Author's Note:**

> OK SO i saw cinder had painted nails in her concept art for her atlas outfit and thought 'oh it would be so cute if neo painted her nails because like... i don't know, i just dooon't see her being able to do it with the grimm arm' and somehow got this from that thought :'D  
> i also HIGHLY considered making this a chapter in my other spicecream fanfic i'm working on but decided against it.  
> this is also named after a line from a thank you scientist song because......... i simply have no originality and for some reason i just love their lyrics


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